Policy
This official strategy aimed not at permanent virus elimination, but at quickly extinguishing new outbreaks as they appeared.
What is Zero Covid?
Protesters famously held up these blank items to represent the things they were forbidden from saying under state censorship.
What are White Papers?
These workers, often seen enforcing lockdowns in full-body PPE, were widely given this two-word nickname.
Who are the "Big Whites"?
This 2022 sporting event in Beijing utilized a "closed-loop" system to separate participants from the general public.
What are the Winter Olympics?
A tragic apartment fire in this Xinjiang capital city served as the primary catalyst for nationwide protests in late 2022.
What is Ürümqi?
In a massive policy pivot, China officially abandoned its Zero-COVID restrictions during this month and year.
What is December 2022?
This digital system on smartphones was mandatory for entering public venues, using color codes to indicate a user's health risk.
What is the Health Code?
In October 2022, a lone protester at this Beijing location hung banners calling for "food, not COVID tests" and the removal of the "traitorous dictator."
What is Sitong Bridge?
Following the policy's end, the government downgraded COVID-19 from a "pneumonia" to an "infection" and moved it to this management class.
What is Class B?